Echinacea plant named ‘Virgin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Virgin’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; large single inflorescences with white-colored ray florets; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Virgin’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Virgin’.

The new Echinacea originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed selection of Echinacea purpurea, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Hummelo, The Netherlands in 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by divisions in a controlled environment in Hummelo, The Netherlands since 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Virgin has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Virgin’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Virgin’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large single inflorescences with white-colored ray florets.     -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the         foliar plane.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Echinacea are more compact and are more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinacea cultivar Jade, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,769. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of the cultivar Jade primarily in number of rows of ray florets as plants of the cultivar Jade had a single row of ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar Jade differed slightly in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Virgin’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Virgin’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Virgin’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about two years old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea cultivar Virgin. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two months at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown to white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright and uniform plant             habit; inverted triangle; freely basal branching with             inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 71.8 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 55.3 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 66.7 cm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Internode length: About 7.5 cm. Aspect: Mostly             upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent;             rough. Color: 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 11.3 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate to ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Irregularly serrate; undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 138A to 138B. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 137A to 139A; venation, 145B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C to 137D; venation,             145C to 145D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright. Freely             flowering habit; about seven inflorescences develop per             lateral branch. Inflorescences not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from late June to             mid-September in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three weeks on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About             2.9 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 143A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 10.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 5.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 5.1 cm. Receptacle             height: About 2.5 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 2.3 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4.9 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Emarginate to praemorse. Base:             Cuneate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; ribbed lengthwise. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 39 arranged in two whorls. Color: When             opening, upper surface: 150D. When opening, lower surface:             150C to 150D. Fully opened, upper surface: Between 150D and             157A; color becoming closer to 150D with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 150D; color becoming closer to 144B             with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About             1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 500. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Immature: 144A; towards the base, 145C. Mature: 144A;             towards the base, 145C.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 1.5 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:             Sharply acute. Color: Apex: 17A. Mid-section: 144A to 144C.             Base: 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 100 in about             four whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Densely pubescent. Color, upper surface: 137A;             towards the base, 137C. Color, lower surface: 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 23.9 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Densely             pubescent; slight rough. Color: 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             About five. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color:             146A. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: 146B to 146C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: 13A. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Cleft; reflexed. Stigma color: 151A. Style length:             About 4 mm. Style color: 145C. Ovary color: 157D.             Seeds/fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     tolerances to rain and wind and have been observed to be suitable     for USDA Zones 3 or 4 to 9. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Virgin’ as illustrated and described. 